Screen door latch



Aug. 26, 1969 I E. s. MODES SCREEN DOOR LATCH Filed Feb. 16, 1968 United States Patent 3,463,530 SCREEN DOOR LATCH Edward S. Modes, Glendale, Calif. (470 E. Augeleno, Burbank, Calif. 91501) Filed Feb. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 706,195 Int. Cl. Ec 19/12; E05b /02 US. Cl. 292-128 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the invention is that of door latch devices generally classifiable in class 292.

Prior art The prior art known to applicant consists of his prior Patent No. 2,793,894 and the patents cited as references against the application for said patent. The said patent of applicant was adapted for screen doors having hollow metal frame structure only and the latch detent engaged the internal face of the :internal side of the hollow member forming the free edge of the door and was inaccessible for operation from the outside of the door without the provision of a separate latch operating means. The present invention constitutes an improvement over the earlier device of the said patent and provides a latch means which is adaptable to both metal and wooden frame screen doors by forming the detent receiving opening in the door entirely through the door so that the detent engages the outer surface of the door. This additionally leaves the end of the detent available as an exterior means for latch release. The sealing of the door against the entry of insects through the opening thus made in the door is achieved by employing a slitted member of rubber or similar elastomeric material which is disposed preferably on the outer surfaces of the door and through which the latch detent projects by displacement of the adjacent edges of the slit. Additionally, most, if not all, door latch devices have involved assembly of the component parts prior to installation. The design of the present device permits the few component parts to be provided in unassembled form since the design is such that the mere act of installation serves also as the assembly of the device.

The principal objectives of the present invention may, therefore, be summarized as providing an auxiliary latch means for screen doors and the like generally similar in purpose to that of the said prior patent of applicant, but which (a) is adapted for use on both solid wood and hollow metal door structures, (b) is per se, operable from the outside of the enclosure protected by the door and (c) provides a screen door latch means which is so designed that the individual parts may be provided in kit form and the mere act of installation serves also as the assembly of the device. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention proceed.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, which form a part of the specification following:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the free or swinging edge of a screen door in closed position showing the application of the latch of the present invention thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an greatly enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a one presently preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a metal frame screen door, the door being shown in section as on the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2, the section being taken in the horizontal plane of th line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the component parts '(other than the door and gasket) of the first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one form of sealing gasket;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view generally like FIGURE 1 but showing (a) an application of the invention to a wood frame door, (b) a different form of a sealing gasket and (c) a locking means to prevent opera tion of the latch; and

FIGURE 7 is a penspective view of the latch component shown in FIGURE 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, the latch component of the first embodiment of the invention comprises in addition to the door 1 which is modified for use therewith, a latch member 2, a biasing spring 3, an anchoring screw 4, and a guiding screw 5. These elements will be described as assembled into an operative hole and it will then be apparent that they can be supplied in kit form and that the mere act of mounting the device on a door frame achieves the only assembly necessary, wherefore, the saving in manufacturing costs through elimination. of assembly costs greatly reduces the cost of the user.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the device is installed at an elevation which is out of reach of small children. The mounting means for the said latch member comprises the anchoring screw 4 which extends through a hole 6 in one end of the latch member 2 and thence through an anchoring eye 7 in one end of the spring 3, the threaded portion of the screw thus being anchored in the door jamp and the screw being set up sufficiently tight to hold the assembled parts together without end play allowing pivotal movement of the latch member, preferably with some slight degree of frictional resistance. The guiding screw 5 is a second wood screw located laterally spaced from the screw 4 and extending first through an arcuate slot 9 formed in the latch member and generated about the axial line of the pivot hole 6 thereof and thence above an upward bend 10 formed in the spring 3 is tightened sufiiciently to permit the pivotal movement of the latch member 2 with the upper and lower end of the arcuate slot 9 acting in cooperation with the shank of the screw 5 to limit the extent of pivotal movement of the latch member.

The latch member 3 is formed from sheet metal, is of greater length than width, and extends horizontally from its pivotal mounting on the screw 4 to and beyond the vertical plane of the outer surface of the door 1 in closed position and, since it is mounted on the side face of the door stop portion of the door jamb B, it is disposed inwardly from the free edge 12 of the door 1. The door 1 is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as having a hollow metal frame 13 with the walls 14 and 15 thereof constituting the inner and outer surfaces thereof. These wall portions are provided with horizontally aligned, vetically elongated openings 16 and 17 which pass over the distal end 18 of the latch member 2 incident to opening and closing the door. To provide a bottom surface for the slot formed by these openings, a narrow strip of metal 16' of inverted U-shape may be seated on the bottom end surfaces of the openings 16 and 17, said strip being held in place by a gasket means to be presently described.

The spring 3 is formed from a length of spring wire bent to form the eye portion 7 and the bend 1t) and then continuing beyond the bend 19 toward the inner face of the door, and terminates in a hooked end 21 which is sprung upwardly from the position of repose of the spring to engage over the upper edge of the latch member in the region of the inner face or side of the door and thus provide a downward yielding bias to the latch member. Thus, as the door is closed, the free end of the latch member enters and passes through the openings 16 and 17, the cam edge 19 by engagement with the bottom surface of the slot formed by the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the strip serving to lift the latch member against the spring bias imposed thereon for passage through the openings 16 and 17 and when the door is closed, the spring will cause the latch to move downwardly so that the detent surface 20 passes beyond the plane of the outer end surface 16" of the member 16.

To seal the door against the entrance of insects through the passage for the latch formed by the openings 16 and 17 a resilient gasket means may be employed, an example being shown in FIGURE 5. This gasket 22 is molded of rubber or other comparable elastomeric material and includes a fiat body portion 23 positioned over the slot 17 and having a slit 23 of sufficient length to accommodate the greatest width of the latch member. The gasket may be attached in any suitable means as for example by having a rib 24 on the face thereof contacting the door, said rib extending through the opening 17 having an external peripheral groove 25 in which the edges of the slot 17 are received by snap-in assembly, the portion of said rib which overlies the top surface of the strip 16 having a clearance groove 2.6 formed therein to allow the throat portion 27 of the latch to engage the member 16 and the lower portion of the slit 23 being widened to permit the detent face 20 to engage the surface 16" of the strip 16. In this connection it will be noted that the gasket thus serves as the securing means for the strip 16.

Release of the latch may be achieved by lifting the free end 18 thereof which protrudes outside of the door or by lifting on the laterally projecting ledge portion formed as a laterally bent integrally formed tongue 28 projecting from the upper edge of the latch member inwardly of the inner face of the door.

In FIGURE 6, there is shown a door 29 having a wooden frame and in which the latch member receiving opening 30 is formed through the door edge member to illustrate the point that the present invention is not limited, as was the said prior patent, to use with doors having metal frames. Preferably the bottom of the slot and the outer face of the door at the bottom of the slot are protected against wear by the latch. By way of example, a metal strip 31 may be installed at the bottom of the slot 39 with the ends bent down and thence inwardly into the wood as at 32 to effect self securing of the strip.

Since there is no opportunity for snap-in assembly of the gasket means, the gasket 33 is shown as formed of a flat sheet of rubber or equivalent material, attached to the outer surface of the door over the slot 39 by any appropriate means as by nails as indicated at 34 or by adhesive means, said gasket having a latch receiving slit 35 formed therein operating to seal the door in the same manner as the first described gasket. If desired, this type of gasket can, of course be used in place of the gasket 22.

Finally referring to FIGURES 6 and 7 there is shown a modification including means by which the latch may be secured against opening from the outside. In this form of the invention, the ledge members 23 projects from the lower edge of the latch member 3 but at a point substantially vertically aligned with the point from which the ledge 28 projects in the first embodiment of the invention. This affords clearance for mounting a swinging stop member 36 pivotally mounted on the latch member 2 adjacent the point of entry into the door opening by a rivet 37 said stop member having a stop portion 38 which can be swung into the opening 16 at the inner face of the door and an abutment portion 39 engageable with the inner side face of the door, the elevation of the portion 38 about the latch being such as to prevent upward movement of the latch to an extent that would disengage the detent from the outer face of the door. Intermediate its ends the stop member is laterally offset as at 39 to afford clearance for the spring 3. When not in use, the member is swung back out of range of contact with the door and the latch would be operated as previously described. While this stop member is shown as applied to a wooden door, it will be obvious that it can be equally readily applied to a metal frame door.

While in the foregoing specification certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed by way of exam le, the invention is not to be deemed to be limited to the precise details of construction thus disclosed and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the disclosed invention.

I claim:

1. In a screen door latch mountable on the door stop portion of the door jamb associated with the door to be latched, an elongated, generally horizontal latch member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on the door stop portion and extending from said mounting to a distal end disposed outwardly of the outer surface of the door when the door is in closed position, an Opening extending through said door adapted to pass over said distal end of said latch member incident to opening and closing of said door, a detent surface on said latch member normally overlying the outer surface of the door adjacent to said opening, and spring means engaging said latch member and tending constantly to urge said latch member in a direction to effect said overlying position of said detent relative to the outer surface of said door when said door is closed, the outer surface of said door including a resilient element having a slit therethrough overlying said opening in said door and through which slit said distal end of said latch member passes with close fitting engagement incident to opening and closing of said door.

2. A latch means as claimed in claim 1 in which the free edge of said door comprises a hollow metal member comprising spaced walls and in which said resilient element includes a peripheral groove having snap-in engagement with the edges of said opening through said door at the one of said spaced walls comprising the outer surface of said door.

3. In a screen door latch mountable on the door stop portion of the door jamb associated with the door to be latched, an elongated, generally horizontal latch member having one end thereof pivotally mounted on a generally horizontal axis on the door stop portion and extending from said mounting to a distal end disposed outwardly of the outer surface of the door when the door is in closed position, an opening extending through said door adapted to pass over said distal end of said latch member incident to opening and closing of said door, a detent surface on said latch member normally overlying the outer surface of the door below to said opening, and spring means engaging said latch member and tending constantly to urge said latch member in a direction to effect said overlying position of said detent relative to the outer surface of said door when said door is closed, said latch member having manually engageable means adjacent said pivotable mounting operable to effect disengagement of said latch member from the inside of the door and said distal end of said latch member additionally constituting manually engageable means for effecting disengagement of said door from the outside thereof and a stop member pivoted on said latch member between the latch mounting and its distal end, said stop member being shaped to be swung toward the inner edge of the opening in said door to prevent disengagement of said latch from said door.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hyde 292-108 X Roberts 292-254 Rimmer et a1. 292-128 Modes 292-128 Hegel 292-128 Elliott 292-128 Samzelius 292-128 US. Cl. X.R. 

